Balance

With everything there is good and bad. The Chinese refer to it as the Ying/Yang principle. There is a balance where all things even out. I have always had the most wonderful experience in China. I'm not sure if I've been living in the Ying or the Yang but regardless of which has been my reality, today I experience the other. Today, I can honestly say, was the single most frustrating day I have ever had in this country.

It began with trying to catch a taxi to Tian'anmen Square. I jumped up, got dressed and headed for the nearest taxi. I was anticipating a wonderful day ahead as I was meeting my friends at the Square to go to the Forbidden City together. The sun was shinning so I didn't wear my usual tights under my jeans, or take a neck scarf or my gloves. I look back now at the end of the day and think "What the hell was I thinking?"

When I walked out of the front door of the hotel there was a taxi sitting at the curb. I approached, handed him a card that had Chinese characters on it for Tian'anmen. He looked at me and rattled something off. I had no idea what it was, I just knew he wasn't going to take me. Coming back into the hotel I finally found a guy who spoke very little English. He came out, he and the driver spoke for 3-4 minutes then he said, "He can take you but can't enter the square so he will drop you a few blocks away." Whatever. I just wanted to get there and not be late.

We arrived, I paid him and started pecking my way through the weekend crowds only to have to enter an underground search and scan point. Waiting 20 minutes to get through I began to get quite cold. Finally making it to the meeting point I stood outside FREEZING! It was -6 Celsius (21 F) and the wind was blowing. I thought I would freeze to death! My Chinese friend Veronica showed up about 20 minutes after I got there but the rest of our group was 1 hr 30 min late! By the time they got there I couldn't even move.

We had a quick lunch (which was very tasty) and began our trek to The Forbidden City. It was nice, I played tour guide for the kids and we were so cold none of us could think straight. We finished and decided to all go home. I wanted to catch a cab and about 10 were lined up but all refused to take us. Finally after 20 min we hailed one who would stop. I made it back to the hotel and over the next 3 hours i indulged in two - 30 min, very hot showers. Sadly, I never did warm up.

The kids called and wanted to meet on Wangfujing Street @ 8 pm for street food. I dressed SO much warmer and grabbed my guide book. I asked the man at the hotel desk to tell the cab driver where I needed to go. He did, I jumped in and we left. Soon he pulled up behind the Forbidden City and motioned that I just needed to go around and I'd be there. I got out, he left.

I began walking, alone, in the dark. I followed the route he motioned to and after 45 min of 'fast pace walking' I finally found a small street. I found a cab after 10 min of standing there and showed him my Wangfujing card. He refused to take me. I begged, he drove off. I began to pray and a cab came up to me. I showed him my card, and just said, "Please, I am so lost." He motioned for me to get in and we left. He drove the entire route I had walked. Soon he said, "Wangfujing." I was on the street I needed. I thanked him profusely and got out.

I never did meet up with he kids but I had an entertaining time seeing the street vendors try to sell me snake on a stick, scorpions, dumplings, oodles of noodles and just about anything you can imagine. I bought a paper thin egg pancake filled with a stir fry mixture and wrapped like a burrito, a bowl of noodles with quail eggs and chrysanthemum leaves. It was all yummy and good on a frigid night. I went shopping across the street and bought a couple of therapeutic heat packs and am trying to warm myself as I type.

I hailed a cab for the ride home. He was pleasant and got me here for 3 Kuai less than it took to get there. My room is warm and I am contemplating another shower. It was a rough day with even more problems than I mentioned here! But it is over and I did survive it. It made me think of that popular bumper sticker at home that says, "A bad day fishing is still better than a good day of working." It was a rough day, but in the end I have to remember I am still in China, and I do love it here. I saw the Forbidden City again and I actually walked the perimeter of it on a still quiet night. I don't think that I would have 'chosen' to do that, but it was pretty cool. There were three men walking in front of me the entire way but I never once felt scared or threatened. I was more put out than anything. I hit the Red Lantern Night Market I have seen so many times on TV and I bought these awesome reusable heat pack to take home with me.

So the moral to my story is this : Although it was rough, I am still glad I had this day. And somewhere in the craziness of it all I will go to sleep knowing that my ying/yang are finally balancing out :)